New forces to block Gus Dur's supporters

JAKARTA (JP): A group of influential Muslim clerics and organizations in East Java launched on Thursday the Ukhuwah Islamiyah Forum (FUI) which aims to promote peace and national unity and pledges to prevent President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's fanatical followers from thronging the capital.

FUI chairman KH Nur Muhammad Sholeh was quoted by Antara as saying that thousands of FUI followers would be deployed as "peacemakers" in several cities in Java to lobby and prevent ardent fans of Abdurrahman from coming to Jakarta ahead of the April 30 Plenary Session at the House of Representatives (DPR).

"We will persuade Gus Dur's followers peacefully not to come to Jakarta. So far we have managed to hold thousands who were coming from Pasuruan ... only hundreds of them will visit Jakarta," Nur said.

The group also intensively lobbied supporters of Amien Rais' National Mandate party (PAN) and Akbar Tanjung's Golkar party, he said.

President Abdurrahman, founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB), is the influential patron and former leader of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization in the country.

His followers have threatened to throng Jakarta and occupy the House if legislators impose a second memorandum on him.

The newly established forum consists of several prominent Muslim organizations in East Java such as Muhammadiyah, Al- Irsyad, Persis Bangil, The Big family of the Indonesian Muslim Student Association (PII) and the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI).

Signing the forum's declaration were KH Nur Muhammad Sholeh of Al-Ainul Bashiroh Islamic boarding school in Kepanjen, Malang; Fasich (Muhammadiyah), Ust Hud A Musa (Persis Bangil), Drs HM Yahya Mansur (PII), KHM Dhoveir Sah (PII) and several Muslim organizations from Jombang, Malang, Gresik, Mojokerto, Lamongan, Blitar and Trenggalek.

The forum is said to have received support from NU Kyais in East Java, KH Miftahul Akhyar and KH Yusuf Hasyim, from Tebuireng Islamic Boarding school in Jombang.

Similarly, in Jakarta, a group of Muslim clerics gathered at the Sunda Kelapa grand mosque in Central Jakarta on Thursday, urging peace and calm in the capital ahead of the April 30 plenary session.

"We are urging the NU's supporters not to throng the capital so as to avoid possible chaos ... we urge every member of the elite to think with a cool head. It would be better if the NU mass prayer be held simultaneously throughout the country and not only be concentrated in Jakarta," Djaelani, one of the figures attending the event who is also Jakarta's deputy governor for administrative affairs, said as quoted the SCTV private television channel.

In Surabaya, the chief of the East Java Police's Operation and Control Unit, Sr. Comr. Sabur W.S., said on Thursday that a total of 8,000 police officers were ready to be deployed in an effort to prevent President Abdurrahman's die-hard followers from flocking to the capital.

"We will conduct intensive search operations and weapons checks at certain points such as in public places, train and bus stations, and entry and exit points," the officer said.

The number of police personnel to be deployed could be increased to up to 12,000 men, he said.

"But, hopefully we won't have to deploy any more officers if the leaders of all military-style training camps are willing to halt their activities," he said, adding that the Police were working on persuasive measures to bring this about. (nur/edt)